LPG

Running an E30 as a daily driver isn't cheap. The E30 was never designed as an economy car, and with fuel prices constantly increasing the thirst of the E30 becomes increasingly hard on your wallet.

It's usually the fuel costs that force people to buy some revolting modern diesel, relegating the E30 to a weekend toy. But it doesn't have to be this way. You could always install LPG.

Overview

LPG is an acronym for Liquefied Petroleum Gas, which you'll probably know as either propane or butane, and the rest of the world calls autogas. It's in the petrol family, but is a by-product of the extraction and refining processes rather than a "desired" fuel. Fuel producers end up with tankloads of LPG whether they want it or not, which is what makes it so cheap. More and more petrol stations these days have a big white cylinder on their forecourt, allowing you to top up your tank for half the price of standard unleaded.

With a properly installed system, you can swap from running on petrol to LPG at the flick of a switch, and when your tank runs low just switch back again. You won't have to make any critical changes to your existing fuel system, and you're not committed to using LPG exclusively. The systems are relatively easy to install and are available from a number of reputable suppliers. We've outlined the different systems for you to get your head around.

We know what you're thinking. If LPG is some incredible wonder-fuel, why isn't everyone using it? The simplest explanation is lethargy; car manufacturers have been designing petrol-based systems for so long that there's little incentive to switch to LPG. There are some other downsides too. LPG really needs a warm engine to run at its best so petrol systems are still needed for cold starts, and the most practical downside is finding space for the tank which needs to go in the boot. But if you're willing to cope with two filler nozzles and the loss of your spare wheel well, you'll see your motoring costs plummet immediately.

We've outlined the pros and cons for you in one handy table, and if you're convinced then you can learn more about installing LPG.

Pros and Cons

Positives	Negatives
Simple installation Very cheap to run Pays for itself in a very short term Kinder to the engine than running petrol Extended driving range from running both petrol and LPG	Loss of boot space or spare wheel Modifications to the shell to install Lack of convenient refill stations in some areas Limited LPG range due to available tank sizes Poor cold starting

Systems

LPG has been around for a surprisingly long time; the history goes back over 100 years, and has been a practical petrol alternative since the 1940s.